Caprese stuffed shells are an absolutely delicious and easy meal. Just cook the pasta, make the filling, and bake! Loaded with fresh tomatoes and basil, it's a flavorful meal with classic flavors.
I love making this dish in early fall when tomatoes are still fresh and abundant, but the weather is cooling down and cozy dishes start to replace no-cook recipes. However, it really can be made anytime of year!
This was inspired by my Summer Squash and Ricotta Pasta on this site, another delicious pasta dish filled with summer produce.
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Ingredients
- Jumbo pasta shells
- Marinara sauce
- Cherry tomatoes
- Mozzarella
- Ricotta
- Fresh basil
- Pesto
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Combine cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, ricotta, basil, pesto, garlic, red pepper flakes (optional), salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Step 2: Cook jumbo shells according to package directions until al dente. Spread marinara to cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Then, stuff each shell with filling and place over bed of marinara.
- Step 3: Top with remaining mozzarella.
- Step 4: Cover with foil. Cook in oven for 20 minutes at 425F, until sauce is bubbling at the edges. Then remove foil and broil until cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven.
Hint: Make sure to broil the shells when they're done baking to brown the mozzarella topping.
Substitutions
- Gluten-free - replace the regular jumbo pasta shells with certified gluten-free jumbo pasta shells
Variations
- Non-Spicy - just leave out the red pepper flakes, they're the only ingredient with spice in this recipe!
Storage
Refrigerator - Store the caprese stuffed shells in an airtight container (or in baking dish tightly covered with tinfoil) in the refrigerator. Keeps well for 3-4 days.
Freezer - Store the caprese stuffed shells in an airtight container (or in baking dish tightly covered with tinfoil) in the freezer. Keeps well for up to 1 month.
Reheating
Oven - When you're ready to eat, preheat oven to 425F. Cover the pasta dish with foil and heat for about 30 minutes (if refrigerated) or 45 minutes (if frozen) until warmed through.
Microwave - Place shells with sauce on microwave safe dish and cover. Microwave in 30 seconds intervals until heated through.
Top Tip
Make sure to salt the pasta water prior to adding the shells! This adds a lot of flavor to the noodles themselves.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Caprese Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 18-20 jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups of your favorite marinara homemade or store-bought
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes diced
- 1 ⅔ cup shredded mozzarella divided
- 1 cup ricotta`
- ⅔ cup fresh basil chopped, loosely packed
- 3 tablespoon pesto
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Cook jumbo pasta shells according to package directions in salted water until al dente. Strain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix cherry tomatoes, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, basil, pesto, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Stuff shells with tomato mixture until just filled.
- Pour marinara sauce into a 9x13 pan. Top with stuffed shells. Then, top shells with remaining ⅔ cup mozzarella.
- Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes, until sauce is bubbling at the edges. Then, remove foil and broil for about 3-5 minutes, until cheese is golden brown.
- Remove from oven and serve!
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